Second Guesses
by Ravenwoodwitch
Summary: Oneshot. Jack and Sally take a new step in their relationship, curtesy of Doctor Finkelstein, but how ready are they?


**AN:**Better late than never I suppose. I got this little idea as Halloween drew closer, and I couldn't finish the next chapter for my other story until I had it penned. It's meant to just be a little cute onesy for Halloween. Next section for Harry Potter is in the making, and will be up soon. Finals will be coming up soon, so I hope everyone will bare with me. Enjoy!

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**Second Guesses**

**or  
**

**How to Stun a Skeleton  
**

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You've likely heard the merry tale of Jack Skellington, time and time again I'm sure. You could tell me of the day that the world's most unlikely holidays met in fine-tipped detail, and created a day that none could ever forget. But could anyone tell what became of dear old Jack, his pumpkin crown metaphorically back where it belonged and his stitched up princess safely in his arms? There have been several stories since that take a stab at it, though some poke more holes in than they fill. Here is yet another yarn from Halloween Town concerning the only thing that ever succeeded in terrifying the Pumpkin King. Maybe it will satisfy your curiosity.

It all started in the lab of the infamous Doctor Finkelstein, very late one night, under a full moon. The doctor, and his precious Jewel, was in the midst of a heavy project. They had already poured hours into this project, and his persistence to keep at it was a mystery to the two nervous frights just outside the main laboratory.

And here paced poor old Jack, close to going out of his skull with worry, and a strange sight to be seen without the cheshire grin. Nearby sat the new arrival in the Pumpkin King's life, Sally, and she looked a few shades calmer than her mate. His long bony fingers loudly knocked against each other when they weren't playing the bat-bowtie at his lapel, and he continued to pace east to west outside the lab doors. He'd been barred from going inside (Doctor's orders) and the idea of waiting at home was both insulting and out of the question. Still, it did not stop the skeleton from feeling so claustrophobic in that small metal room,

Sally was much more collected; at least on the outside. She had a curse for losing her stuffing but the gift of keeping her emotions together. She was currently sitting on an overturned bucket, knowing full well that the Doctor never liked to entertain and never left his chair, thus making the courtesy of chairs for others impossible. Jack could only admire the sweet serenity on her voice, and long to echo it with his normal confidence. It was doing some small wonders at least; he hadn't stormed his way in or out after all.

"Jack, please," she said, for the third time, "won't you sit down?"

"I can't," he said, "I can't shake these nerves. This isn't the fun type of scare anymore, Sally, this is huge."

"I know." She stood up, putting a hand on his bony arm." But you said you really wanted this. I thought you'd be happy."

Jack drew to a halt. Quickly, he took her cold fingers in his skeletal hands. "I am, truly. I cannot thank you enough for agreeing with me. Please don't think I regret your gift."

She smiled, one fear alleviated from her face. "I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm just worried about you."

"I can't help myself," he said. "What if I'm not ready for this? I could make a horrible mistake and ruin everything all over again! I just feel so tense…"

"You _are_ ready," Sally insisted. "You've been practicing for weeks now! You've read, you've studied, you can do this…"

"It's not enough," the shaky skeleton lamented, shifting to the left. "I studied and read for my last 'big idea' and it all went completely wrong. I absolutely do _not_ want to make that big of a miscalculation here…"

Before Sally could adequately respond, one of the doors was gently pushed open. Jewel, wearing the bloodiest pair of rubber gloves Jack had laid eye-sockets on and a comically sized hair net, daintily stepped out of the lab in a pair of orange and black scrubs. Shocked by the sight, both patrons took a step back. The assistant chuckled nervously.

"Sorry about the mess, and for the wait." She said, "The supplies were a little fresher than we suspected. We needed to sterilize it."

"You're not done?" Jack was unable to conceal his disappointment as his features took a dive.

Jewel frowned. "Sorry, no. But we are getting close. I just need to dispose of these, if you please…"

She carefully shuffled past the couple, who gave her a wide-berth. She deposited the bloody rubber gloves down a long black tube, and closed the lid quickly. The machine roared with all the might of a dragon, and belched out a cloud of red smoke when the assistant opened it back up; the gloves were no more. Satisfied, she pulled a fresh pair of blue latex gloves from a box just above the disposal chute and shuffled back inside.

Undeterred, Sally picked the pep-talk back up. "Jack, that was years ago. Santa's forgiven you too, so you should too."

"I know, I know…" He sighed, "But I wanted that just as bad, or I thought I did. I made Christmas all wrong for the world, and made a terrible mess; what if I'm horribly wrong about this too? You can't just sponge this away if I fail."

Sally frowned. She gently grabbed Jack by the upper arm and guided him back to her make-shift chair. Sometimes she was the only thing that ever held his scattered bones together, like the stitching on her joints. She grounded the electric current that ran through him on a nightly basis, and giving a sense of peace he hadn't known to exist before. So, he wasn't surprised that she was the picture of comfort as he sunk his skull into his hands. She leaned over him lovingly, and ran a hand soothingly along his ribcage.

"You really were sure about it," she said quietly, "and you still adore Christmas, in your own way. Everyone else is still thrilled you introduced it to them, and celebrates it the way they want to. While it may not have been right for the world, it was right for Halloween town, and everyone had so much fun doing it. Really think, Jack, are you just as sure about this?"

He did think hard; he thought harder to himself than he ever had about anything else. The idea, which had been bouncing about his head for weeks now, filled him with an unbridled elation he couldn't put into words. It was true there were so many risks attached to it, so many places he could fail, but it still promised to be one of the greatest accomplishments he could make in his time. So, while there were still nerves that forced him away from a complete calm, there was no doubt in his mind.

"Yes. Yes I do, I will. I've just…well, never felt scared like this before. "

Sally giggled, resting her arms on his shoulders. "Then I know it's a good idea. You'll do wonderfully."

He'd have felt better if she had seen it in a vision, but her faith in him was more than enough. His skeleton grin came back, stretching across his face like a bridge of bones. He slipped his hands over her arms, gently holding her by the elbows.

He was flattered and surprised the day he discovered Sally's feelings for him. It came surprisingly easy for him to see his closest friend as his partner in life, especially on reflection of how she acted around him. Reviewing all their previous encounters in his mind, Jack wondered how he had missed it before. It confused him completely how her affections had soared right over his dense cranium. It hardly mattered how long it had taken them to find each other; they had each other now. She was a welcome addition to his home, and he couldn't think of another soul whom he wanted to share this special occasion with.

But something else puzzled him. In her huge speech to bring him back to himself, she hadn't mentioned herself in the equation.

"I have faith in you too, Sally", he tested the waters. She didn't respond.

Suddenly, the doors were violently thrown open. Finkelstein was the one to emerge this time, not as gracefully as the former occupant, and looking downright agitated. He flew out at top speed in his mechanized chair, grabbing several vials of mysterious chemicals as he passed. He stopped at the main table and began furiously adding them to a tank.

"Doctor, what's wrong?!" Jack rose to his feet, only to be shushed by Finkelstein.

"Organic material threatening to decompose; need a preservative and a stimulus," he said quickly. "So be quiet and let me concentrate!"

"Stimulus? Decompose?" Jack felt his enthusiasm drain."You mean…they're dying?"

"Silence!" the doctor ordered again, adding the final component. The chemicals violently mixed together, and the tank shot out a cloud of noxious gas that flew over every body's head. Sally coughed, waving a hand in front of her face while Finkelstein grabbed the tank, secured a lid on it, and turned back around to make a beeline for the lab, "Put them in here; don't just stand there, get them inside!"

There was a distinct sound of rattling bones in the room as Jack began to shake. Reduced to the noise one hears in a haunted house, Jack turned to a nearby wall. He steadied himself by sticking one hand out in front of him, leaning on it.

"Sally, please tell me this won't end before it begins…" he said "Poor little thing."

"They'll save it," Sally said, the utmost confidence in her voice. "Doctor Finkelstein is persistent and stubborn. He won't give up until it's back to normal."

Sally pulled the clattering king off the wall and rubbed his arm, calming his shivering frame. Once he was back to his right mind (or as close as he could be), Jack managed to give his queen a pointed stare. Once again she was giving boundless praise to the others around him, but to herself she gave none. Why was his dearest friend being so secretive about her own thoughts?

"Sally," he finally asked, looking into her eyes, "aren't you frightened at all?"

Yes. Yes she was. The question broke the thin barrier the rag-doll had built up, and the same fear that was terrorizing Jack now appeared in her eyes. The same insecurities, worries and second-guesses flashed by on her face, culminating in tears brimming at her eyes. The tears fell down, and left dark streaks running down her pale skin. Jack lifted his hands up to clasp her face, bony thumbs drying each drop that fell down her face.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Sally, there's not a doubt in my mind you can do this."

"Oh Jack!" The rag-doll broke from his hands and pressed herself against his sternum, shaking from her tears.

Jack folded his long limbs around her, rubbing her back and running his fingers through her red locks. He'd glossed over her all over again. Once again he'd gotten so caught up in himself that he overlooked her again, forgetting that she had just as many feelings as he did (sometimes more). he felt worse, much worse, but he couldn't let that show right now, not here. This time, she needed him to be stronger than that.

"Oh Sally, won't you forgive me?" he said softly. "I sometimes get so lost in my own thoughts; I didn't mean to leave you to deal with this all on your own."You're more than ready for this, don't you know that?"

"I don't feel ready," Sally said, pulling herself back and drying her eyes with the back of her palm. "I feel scared. The Doctor was not a good teacher, and I'm terrified that I won't be good enough. What if I make a mistake?"

"I'll be here to make it right," he said, this time his voice was the one holding the confidence. "You'll be there if I make an error, won't you?"

"Of course!"

"Then what are we afraid of?" Jack said. "So long as we have each other we'll be fine."

Sally smiled, taking Jack's bony fingers in her own again. Just as they leaned into each other to seal that promise both doors to the lab opened. Both mad inventors walked out then, looking perfectly-pleased. With collectively hitched breath, the two frights stood still, hands locked in anticipation as the Doctor and his assistant wheeled out a long wooden table in front of them. Lying on its side was a small, skeletal figure, covered in a long spider-silk blanket. Jewel put her hands on the edges of the silk, blinking thick eyelashes up at the doctor as she waited for the cue for the big reveal.

"Hmph, troublesome, but still simple." Finkelstein said, "You'll pay me back for this someday. For now, she's complete."

"She?" Jack's hands shook again. A gentle squeeze from Sally one again reminded him that they had nothing to fear. Between the two of them, anything was possible now.

With the faintest whisper, the blanket was removed from the tiny skeleton. The tiny thing was the size of a human toddler, with bleached white bones from skull to ankles. Skin had been sewn around her elbows, knees, ankles and throat, holding together some of those 'organic compounds,' and a crop of bright red hair was set on her head. Jack was speechless, simply staring at the creation in wonder and amazement. Laying before them was the dream both frights had wanted all this time; made from one of Jack's ribs, and a lock of Sally's hair.

The little creature opened its eye sockets, turning to look between Jack and Sally. It reached for the table, showing ten bony fingers and toes, and shakily attempted to push itself upright. Without a conscious thought, Jack and Sally both offered a hand to the tiny skeleton. Her little bones felt so right in their grip, perfectly adjusted to each dip and curve, and yet felt so small and fragile. The red-headed girl looked between the two of them again.

"M-mmmom?" It's voice was raspy first, but slowly smoothed. "Daddy?"

The couple exchanged one more look across the table. The cry from this little thing sparked the strangest connection between them. Both felt something swell inside them, the strongest realization dawning on each of them. There was the expected rush of terror, but neither felt all that paralyzed by it. By contrast, there was a rush of adrenaline and excitement, days of cemetery picnics in the moonlight, and Halloween pranks flashing through their minds. A door opened for them that lead to new road, ribbed with ups and downs. But, with a nod, both recognized that the prize at the end was worth every speed bump.

But before they could go, she needed a name.

"Yes… Luna," he looked at Sally, who nodded in approval. It was only appropriate that she be named after one of the brightest objects in the sky, because she would be the new light to his life.

Luna flashed a toothless smile up at the two of them. Jack grinned and scooped the little thing up in his arms, hugging it to his chest. Sally crossed the space and took her next, pressing a kiss to her skull. Jack smirked, putting a hand to his chin in thought. It was Halloween now, last he checked. And this literal bone-daddy was ready to parade his new little haunt to the world. Maybe next year, she'd get a sister...or a brother.

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_~End~_


End file.
